By Walter Broeckx
One could say that some of the results went our way last weekend. Of course the best result we have seen looking at the league table was Manchester United losing at home to WBA. We will play WBA at the final day of the season so let us not underestimate them. The good thing is that WBA now seems safe and can relax a bit till the end of the season with having secured their place in the PL for next season.
But that result now means that Manchester United are 2 points behind us and we have two matches in hand. Of course 2 matches in hand does not automatically mean that you have 6 points on the table as you still have to win your matches yourself but it sure is more comfortable this way than being in the position of Manchester United.
If we win our match at Hull today then it would mean that we are 5 points in front of Manchester United. If we then win our next home match against Swansea we would go to United and supposing United win their next match with 5 points advantage and 1 match in hand. We could then secure at least 3rd place at Old Trafford. A draw would take us out of their reach then.
But Manchester United have to travel to Crystal Palace and they are not that easy to beat at home since Pardew took over halfway the season. So with the form Manchester United is showing they could make it even easier for ourselves and we might be out of sight even before we go to Old Trafford.
And I think since the win in the FA cup and our win at Manchester City the believe that we can win in Manchester is back.
Talking about Manchester City. Yesterday they won at the old home of that former Middlesex club. A result that was greeted with mixed feelings to be honest. I don’t want Tottenham to win any match but I didn’t want to see them lose this match. One could say of course that St. Totteringhams Day has now virtually arrived but theoretically they could still overtake us if we would lose all our 5 remaining matches and they win their last 3 matches. And then we still would have to lose with high scores and they would need to win all their matches with scores also.
But to end this debate the best thing we can do is just to win our match at Hull today. Even one point would be enough to see St. Totteringhams Day celebrated today but given the PL table it would be better to take all 3 points of course.
But today might be a difficult match. Maybe one of the most difficult of the remaining fixtures. Hull is a team fighting for survival and as they have shown in the last weeks they are not that easy to beat. So we have to be alert and ready to play at our highest level. In the first match against Hull this season at home in the league we were cruising till the ref decided to be blind and allow Hull to score from a clear foul on Flamini. That bad decision has cost us two points at the end.
But that was in the days we had lost players like Özil, Giroud, Koscielny… a complete backbone in the central axis of the team. We do seem better on that front compared to those days now. In the days of ‘the worst Arsenal start since the Dinosaurs lived on the planet’ that now has been turned around in to we didn’t have so many points at this stage of the season since 2010.
What is a bit worrying is that if Hull reverts to a “we will kick you no matter what to survive” approach we might see a few players ending up with injuries. Lee Mason is a typical home referee who allows a lot of kicking and it would be terrible to lose a player now as it would mean that he would be out probably for the rest of the season. So we can only hope that we can avoid that happening but if they really want to kick us I expect no help from the ref. He might prove me wrong and I would be very happy if he did. But not counting on it to be honest.
For good order I will give the fixtures we still have in the PL as I write this article.
- Hull away
- Swansea Home
- Manchester United away
- Sunderland Home
- WBA Home
What I like a lot of this fixture list is that we have the chance to settle things in our home matches. I think if we win those matches at home, we are at least 3rd in the league.
Now of course I would want us to finish second in the league and stay unbeaten for the rest of the league season +1 match. That one extra match being the FA cup final of course. But as results in the last weeks have shown, not one match can be taken for granted in the PL. So lets hope our players are ready for this match and continue the fine run they are having since a few months.
As Wenger said, a strong finish will reinforce the belief in the team for the start of next season. Even with the PL title being decided we still have a lot to play for and I hope that our players realise that now is not the time to relax.
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From the Anniversary Files… Arsenal on this day
4 May 1935: Despite losing 0-1 at home to Derby on the last day of the season George Allison made it three in a row for Arsenal under three different managers. The defeat meant Arsenal equalled the club’s all-time goal difference record of 69 set in 1904. A draw and they would have beaten it.
4 May 1976: Bertie Mee left his post as manager. He managed 539 league games – the largest number of any manager until Arsene Wenger came along, and won three major trophies, as did Chapman and Allison. But his win percentage of 44.71% was only 10th best, and worse than them but also Howe and Neill
l wouldn’t want us to worry on any Lee Mason possible bad officiating against the Gunners at the KC Stadium today’s night. I am sure MR. Mason will do his officiating lawfully. What is of paramount for the Boss and the Gunners is to successful enforce their Game App Data Plan of: UNGUARANTEED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL GUNNERS STARTS. As against Steve Bruce Game App Data Plan of: SECURING PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL TIGERS STARTS. The Gunners are to devastatingly pounce on the Tigers and tame them from the blast of the whistle starting the game.Then cage 4 of them and bring them to the Emirates Stadium exhibition room for the Gooners to behold. Arsenal are not in any mood to help any relegation threatened team with any 1 point to ease their relegation worries. As the Gunners will have no option but to collect all the 3 points that are going to be at stake on the KC Stadium football playing pitch this night. Arsenal themselves need to collect all the 3 points to enhance their 2nd finish in the table.
l wouldn’t want us to worry on any Lee Mason’s possible bad officiating against the Gunners at the KC Stadium today’s night. I am sure MR. Mason will do his officiating lawfully. What is of paramount for the Boss and the Gunners is to successfully enforced their Game App Data Plan of: UNGUARANTEED PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL GUNNERS STARTS. As against Steve Bruce’s Game App Data Plan of: SECURING PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL TIGERS STARTS. The Gunners are to devastatingly pounced on the Tigers and tame them from the blast of the whistle starting the game.Then cage 4 of them and bring them to the Emirates Stadium exhibition room for the Gooners to behold. Arsenal are not in any mood to help any relegation threatened team with any 1 point to ease their relegation worries. As the Gunners will have no any option but to collect all the 3 points that are going to be at stake on the KC Stadium football playing pitch, this night. Arsenal themselves need to collect all the 3 points to enhance their 2nd finish in the table. Final scores: HCFC 0-4 AFC FT 90” +.
The U21 squad entertains Brighton and Hove Albion U21 very shortly.
COYYG!
The Arsenal twitter feed is asleep on this game. They announced the squad. Then a lot of nothing. And then they said it was scoreless at half time. I don’t do youtube, but there was a mention that the game was being shown on youtube.
COYYG!
Iwobi scores in the 48 minute for the Arsenal. 1-0
COYYG!
We won! Iwobi’s goal was the only scoring.
COYYG!
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In the process of looking for information on that game, I stumbled across some own goal information for just the EPL. Richard Dunne is the leader at 10, none of which are at Arsenal. Here’s Arsenal’s contribution:
Martin Keown has 4, from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton.
Tony Adams has 3, all at Arsenal.
Stewart Robson has 3 between WHam and Arsenal.
Kolo Toure has 3, between Liverpool and Arsenal.
Stephen Bould has 2, Arsenal and Stoke.
Lee Dixon has 2 at Arsenal.
Laurent Koscielny has 2 at Arsenal.
Manuel Almunia has 2 at Arsenal.
Thomas Vermaelen has 2 at Arsenal.
Richard Wright has 2, Arsenal and Everton.
Viv Anderson has 1 at Arsenal.
Cesc Fabregas, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Johan Djourou,
Matthew Flamini, William Gallas, Kieran Gibbs,
John Kay, Lauren, Malcom MacDonald, Mikel Arteta,
Sammy Nelson, David O’Leary, Aaron Ramsey, Matthew Rose,
Philippe Senderos, Alex Song, Sebastien Squillaci,
Chris Whyte, Nigel Winterburn, Willie Young
I think Jenkinson has 1, not EPL?
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WRT the Hull game.
COYG!
Yep, Walter, if we win all our home games, we’ll be 3rd at worst. We would have 76 points and Manchester United can’t go higher than 74. Plus we have superior goal-difference – seven goals in our favour.
From the remaining fixtures I have the biggest fear out of that game against Swansea at home.
I think we are well-balanced team with much better cohesion than United as – unlike Van Gaal’s super-expensive project – we have spine. (Yes, Thierry, we do.) Both us and United have top-drawer goalkeeper but we have defence that has both an experienced defender who can organize it and a world-class stopper who has pockets deep enough to hide any striker in the world. We have midfielders who can pass, change the rhytm of the game and control it while United – especially without Carrick – can’t get anything from their midfielders apart from fruitless possession. Finally, our attackers are – at worst – “au pair” with theirs and I’m being generous here.
I’m convinced that – on a level-field play – we are two classes above this United and should give them a really, really good hiding. They were lucky to lose just 2:1 in FA Cup and that they didn’t lose at the Emirates with a serious margin. That part “a level-field play” is very tricky one though so I’d prefer us to book our direct place to CL before Old Trafford.
I have one more worry ahead of tonight’s game. I fear that our team might be a bit dried up now that Chavs have mathematically secured title and that our Champions’ League place is all but secured. We must stay focused and committed as we have been throughout bigger part of the season.
As long as we secure 2nd or 3rd, 2nd naturally better, all is good. Don’t want to have to go through qualifying for CL even though we have mastered it always, but not having to will give the team much more confidence especially for FA cup.
We cannot afford to lose focus at all.
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Another weekend without Arsenal playing, BORING.
@ Gord – May 4, 2015 at 4:13 pm – That list has missed out the boys from Brazil – Sylvinho and Edu have both scored against Arsenal ,and in one match against M’boro.
Edu scored at either end in another game – not able to find that.
You think those are EPL matches, not league cup or FA Brickfields?
5 to go!
@ Gord-May 4, 2015 at 8:23 pm – Both scored own goals in the EPL. Both times at home !
Sylvinho and Edu against M’boro in 2001 , and Edu ,again against Blackburn in 2002-03.
I think that Andres Santos also scored an own goal while at Arsenal – cannot confirm this. Also with Gilberto and Denilson .